Design Director Jobs in Minnesota
Design Director jobs in Minnesota are concentrated in Minneapolis and St. Paul, with a secondary hub in Rochester, where employers in retail, healthcare, and financial services maintain in-house creative teams at the director level. Target Ten, Best Buy, and UnitedHealth Group are among the established Minnesota employers with consistent design leadership hiring. The most in-demand specialties are brand identity, UX leadership, and retail creative direction. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 6+ Design Director jobs
Pay is based on several factors which vary based on position. These include labor markets and in some instances may include education, work experience and certifications. In addition to your pay, Target cares about and invests in you as a team member, so that you can take care of yourself and your family. Target offers eligible team members and their dependents comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance and more, to help you and your family take care of your whole selves. Other benefits for eligible team members include 401(k), employee discount, short term disability, long term disability, paid sick leave, paid national holidays, and paid vacation. Find competitive benefits from financial and education to well-being and beyond at https://corporate.target.com/careers/benefits.
About Us
Working at Target means helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. We bring that vision to life through our values and culture. Learn more about Target here
Target’s distinctive brand love is infused throughout its many physical locations by the Properties teams. We have a direct and positive impact on the real estate, design, construction and maintenance of our stores, distribution centers and headquarters. Are you ready to help strategically grow Target’s brand through leading-edge design, development, construction and preservation? Can you effectively balance the efficiencies of a large-design build company with the unique challenges and innovative solutions required by individual sites? Then take your place on one of our Properties teams, and help us make the most of Target’s physical assets, both in the U.S. and overseas.
Target’s physical stores are a critical expression of our brand promise and a key focus in our next chapter. Guided by our commitment to style, design, and value, the Store Design team is evolving how we design and deliver stores, bringing together architecture, interiors, and fixtures to create more integrated and design-led environments across our portfolio. We are entering a period of significant investment and transformation, reimagining the in-store experience across new stores and hundreds of remodels annually. This is an opportunity to help define what Target feels like for the next decade.
As a Principal Creative Director, Store Design, you will:
Lead the creative vision for Target’s interior store environments, translating the broader vision for our store environment into compelling experiences through interiors, fixtures, and spatial design.
Develop future store concepts, department transformations, and scalable design systems that translate bold creative ideas into buildable solutions across new stores, remodels, and enterprise initiatives.
Serve as the creative authority for Target’s interior store design, establishing design direction and preserving creative intent from concept through implementation while partnering closely with Architecture, Store Planning and cross-functional teams.
Provide creative leadership through influence, offering design direction, critique, mentorship, and thought leadership that elevates design quality and develops the creative capabilities of designers across Store Design.
Partner across Visual Merchandising, Store Planning, Merchandising, Brand Experience cohesive, guest-centered environments that balance creative ambition with business and operational realities.
Lead highly complex, design initiatives influencing executive leaders and cross-functional partners through compelling creative vision, strategic thinking, and strong design rationale.
Shape the future of Target’s store experience by connecting guest insights, business strategy, and emerging retail trends into innovative design frameworks that influence the evolution of the physical environment.
Bring external perspectives and industry-leading practices from retail, hospitality, architecture, and experiential design to continuously inspire innovation and elevate Target’s physical guest experience.
This role is ideal for a highly accomplished designer who thrives at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and execution. You'll shape the future of Target's physical experience by translating bold ideas into scalable environments, balancing creative ambition with the realities of speed, cost, and operational complexity while influencing change through expertise, vision, and collaboration.
We’ll support you along the way with robust onboarding, as well as personal and career development, to help you grow as a strong Principal Creative Director. The exciting part of retail? It’s always changing!
Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.
About You
Four-year degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, or a related field or equivalent experience; Master’s degree preferred
10+ years of relevant experience in retail, interior, environmental, or industrial design
Strong portfolio demonstrating the ability to create compelling physical environments from concept through execution
Demonstrated design judgement and the ability to translate conceptual ideas into scalable, buildable environments
Experience working within or alongside complex, cross-functional organizations; experience both in-house and in external design environments is preferred
Deep understanding of materials, finishes, fixture systems, and how environments are detailed and built
Proven ability to lead through influence, aligning designers and cross-functional partners around a shared creative vision
Strong communication, presentation, and influence skills, with experience presenting to and partnering with executive leadership
Ability to navigate ambiguity, balance competing priorities, and maintain a clear creative vision in a fast-paced environment
Benefits Eligibility
Please paste this url into your preferred browser to learn about benefits eligibility for this role: https://tgt.biz/BenefitsForYou_FAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
In compliance with state and federal laws, Target will make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please reach out to candidate.accommodations@HRHelp.Target.com. Non-accommodation-related requests, such as application follow-ups or technical issues, will not be addressed through this channel.
Application deadline is : 10/03/2026Pay is based on several factors which vary based on position. These include labor markets and in some instances may include education, work experience and certifications. In addition to your pay, Target cares about and invests in you as a team member, so that you can take care of yourself and your family. Target offers eligible team members and their dependents comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance and more, to help you and your family take care of your whole selves. Other benefits for eligible team members include 401(k), employee discount, short term disability, long term disability, paid sick leave, paid national holidays, and paid vacation. Find competitive benefits from financial and education to well-being and beyond at https://corporate.target.com/careers/benefits.
About Us
Working at Target means helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. We bring that vision to life through our values and culture. Learn more about Target here
Target’s distinctive brand love is infused throughout its many physical locations by the Properties teams. We have a direct and positive impact on the real estate, design, construction and maintenance of our stores, distribution centers and headquarters. Are you ready to help strategically grow Target’s brand through leading-edge design, development, construction and preservation? Can you effectively balance the efficiencies of a large-design build company with the unique challenges and innovative solutions required by individual sites? Then take your place on one of our Properties teams, and help us make the most of Target’s physical assets, both in the U.S. and overseas.
Target’s physical stores are a critical expression of our brand promise and a key focus in our next chapter. Guided by our commitment to style, design, and value, the Store Design team is evolving how we design and deliver stores, bringing together architecture, interiors, and fixtures to create more integrated and design-led environments across our portfolio. We are entering a period of significant investment and transformation, reimagining the in-store experience across new stores and hundreds of remodels annually. This is an opportunity to help define what Target feels like for the next decade.
As a Principal Creative Director, Store Design, you will:
Lead the creative vision for Target’s interior store environments, translating the broader vision for our store environment into compelling experiences through interiors, fixtures, and spatial design.
Develop future store concepts, department transformations, and scalable design systems that translate bold creative ideas into buildable solutions across new stores, remodels, and enterprise initiatives.
Serve as the creative authority for Target’s interior store design, establishing design direction and preserving creative intent from concept through implementation while partnering closely with Architecture, Store Planning and cross-functional teams.
Provide creative leadership through influence, offering design direction, critique, mentorship, and thought leadership that elevates design quality and develops the creative capabilities of designers across Store Design.
Partner across Visual Merchandising, Store Planning, Merchandising, Brand Experience cohesive, guest-centered environments that balance creative ambition with business and operational realities.
Lead highly complex, design initiatives influencing executive leaders and cross-functional partners through compelling creative vision, strategic thinking, and strong design rationale.
Shape the future of Target’s store experience by connecting guest insights, business strategy, and emerging retail trends into innovative design frameworks that influence the evolution of the physical environment.
Bring external perspectives and industry-leading practices from retail, hospitality, architecture, and experiential design to continuously inspire innovation and elevate Target’s physical guest experience.
This role is ideal for a highly accomplished designer who thrives at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and execution. You'll shape the future of Target's physical experience by translating bold ideas into scalable environments, balancing creative ambition with the realities of speed, cost, and operational complexity while influencing change through expertise, vision, and collaboration.
We’ll support you along the way with robust onboarding, as well as personal and career development, to help you grow as a strong Principal Creative Director. The exciting part of retail? It’s always changing!
Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.
About You
Four-year degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, or a related field or equivalent experience; Master’s degree preferred
10+ years of relevant experience in retail, interior, environmental, or industrial design
Strong portfolio demonstrating the ability to create compelling physical environments from concept through execution
Demonstrated design judgement and the ability to translate conceptual ideas into scalable, buildable environments
Experience working within or alongside complex, cross-functional organizations; experience both in-house and in external design environments is preferred
Deep understanding of materials, finishes, fixture systems, and how environments are detailed and built
Proven ability to lead through influence, aligning designers and cross-functional partners around a shared creative vision
Strong communication, presentation, and influence skills, with experience presenting to and partnering with executive leadership
Ability to navigate ambiguity, balance competing priorities, and maintain a clear creative vision in a fast-paced environment
Benefits Eligibility
Please paste this url into your preferred browser to learn about benefits eligibility for this role: https://tgt.biz/BenefitsForYou_FAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
In compliance with state and federal laws, Target will make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please reach out to candidate.accommodations@HRHelp.Target.com. Non-accommodation-related requests, such as application follow-ups or technical issues, will not be addressed through this channel.
Application deadline is : 10/03/2026See All 6 Design Director Jobs in Minnesota
Find roles in Minnesota that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Director JobsDesign Director Jobs by City in Minnesota
Where Minnesota roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Design Director Job Market in Minnesota
A snapshot from current Minnesota openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Retail
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Minnesota Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in design director jobs across Minnesota.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in graphic design, industrial design, or a closely related field
- Seven or more years of progressive design experience including team leadership
- Demonstrated portfolio showing brand, digital, and campaign work at a strategic level
- Experience managing and mentoring a multidisciplinary creative team
- Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and Figma
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with marketing, product, and executive stakeholders
Design Director Jobs in Minnesota: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a design director in Minnesota?
The path to a design director role in Minnesota typically starts with a bachelor's degree in graphic design, communication design, or a related discipline, followed by progressive creative roles building toward senior designer and creative lead positions. Minnesota does not require a state-issued license for design directors, so employers weigh portfolio quality, leadership experience, and industry fit. Large Twin Cities employers in retail, healthcare, and finance often promote from within their creative departments.
Which companies hire design directors in Minnesota?
Companies currently hiring design directors in Minnesota include Target, HNTB Corporation, and Walker Consultants, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. Minnesota's concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters in the Twin Cities metro makes it one of the stronger in-house creative markets in the Midwest.
Which Minnesota cities have the most design director jobs?
Minneapolis and Blaine have the most design director openings in Minnesota. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro drives the majority of demand, anchored by major corporate headquarters in retail, financial services, and healthcare that maintain large in-house creative teams, while Rochester's presence reflects UX and brand roles tied to its dominant medical sector.
Are there remote design director jobs in Minnesota?
Yes, and more than many senior roles, since design direction is primarily strategic and output-focused work that translates well to remote settings. About 50% of design director openings tied to Minnesota are remote or hybrid as of October 2026, reflecting broader flexibility in corporate creative leadership. The most remote-friendly specialties tend to be UX leadership and digital brand, where collaboration happens through shared tools rather than physical studios.
How can I get hired as a design director in Minnesota with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving into a senior designer or creative lead role first, then building toward the director title. Minnesota's large retail and healthcare brands, including those headquartered in the Twin Cities, regularly hire senior designers who can grow into leadership. A strong portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking alongside craft is the clearest edge, and UX-focused candidates can find adjacent openings on product and digital teams that develop into director-level positions over time.
Where can I find and apply to design director jobs in Minnesota?
You can find and apply to design director jobs in Minnesota on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly to each one.
See All 6 Design Director Jobs in Minnesota
Find roles in Minnesota that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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